Who Said Only Diamonds Were a Girl's Best Friend?
by Ilovetoread09
Summary: 4X13 AU where Royal chooses Kate. My entry for Castle Ficathon 2014.
1. Chapter 1

AN: So, this is my entry for the Ficathon. I'm going to make this quick as I can, but I will be putting some of my other stories on the backburner in order to finish this. Anyway, as always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

"Come here, boy, come on," Kate said, gently patting the floor. The poor dog in front of her seemed so confused. The canine kept walking back and forth between the two, trying to decide who to go with. Kate prayed he would choose her. The short time she spent with Royal had been fun, and it was nice to have some company in her quiet apartment.

After another minute or two, Royal stopped turning and faced Kate. He trotted over to her, gave her cheek a big lick, and barked, making his decision clear.

"Good job, Royal," she praised, patting the dog on the head. Royal simply wagged his tail in excitement. She looked up to see Castle pouting, a disappointed expression on his face. Kate chuckled. "Don't look so sullen, Castle. You can come and visit him." Castle's expression brightened and he grinned. He walked over to her and handed her Royal's leash.

"Be careful," he joked. "I might become a frequent visitor to your apartment."

She certainly wouldn't mind that.

"Guess I'll just have to double up on the dog treats then," she teased. At the mention of food, Royal's ears perked up and he stared at Kate expectantly. "Not you." She shook her head, smiling.

After clipping the leash onto Royal's collar, Kate announced, "Okay buddy, time to go home."

"Bye, Beckett. Bye, Royal," Castle said, giving the dog a gentle pat on the head.

"Night, Castle," Beckett responded. Royal just barked.

She then turned around and headed into the elevator with her newest companion.

* * *

Kate arrived at her apartment an hour later, Royal trailing behind her on his leash. After she detached his leash, the canine happily bounded over to the couch and jumped on it, making himself comfortable.

"You know this isn't to become a habit, right?" Kate asked rhetorically. Royal cocked his head before lying down on the black leather, his head in-between his paws. "Fine," she relented, knowing she wasn't going to win the fight. She sat down next to him and Royal rested his head on her lap.

"I realize I need to buy you things, like food, a bed, and toys," she said, stroking the top of his head. "I also need to figure out what to do with you while I'm at work. I probably shouldn't leave you alone. Maybe Mrs. Hansen will be willing to watch you for a few hours," she mused. Her neighbor lived alone and probably would like some company. "I'll ask her tomorrow."

Royal rolled over on his back, his paws up in the air. Kate ran her hands over his stomach, causing him to pant happily.

"You're so adorable," she cooed, continuing to rub his belly. She laughed as he wagged his tail vigorously, creating a thumping sound as it hit the couch.

Suddenly, her phone pinged, indicating she received a text. Picking it up, she smiled as she read the message.

_I'm at your door._

She raised an eyebrow, surprised he was missing Royal that quickly. Unless he just wanted to see her. She smiled at the thought before going to her door and opening it.

"Miss Royal already?" she teased, letting Castle into her apartment. She eyed the bags that he brought with him.

"What I can't just come to see you?" He feigned hurt. She rolled her eyes. "Okay, yes, I came to see Royal. However, I also come bearing gifts." He lifted up one of the plastic bags he was carrying. Royal, who had gotten up from the couch, sniffed the bag before circling Castle. "It's your lucky day, buddy. All the stuff I bought is for you."

Looking over Castle's shoulder, Kate saw more bags in the hallway. Her eyes widened as she saw a huge pile of plastic at her door.

"Castle, what did you buy?"

"Just a few necessities for Royal." She quirked an eyebrow. "I realized that you didn't have most of the things that dogs need, so I took the liberty of buying some things."

"What did you do, buy the whole shop?" It wouldn't surprise her if he did.

"Noooo," he replied slowly. "Just necessities." He pulled out a large bag of dog food. "I figured you would need this, especially since I doubt you were going to give him food from your barren fridge."

Kate took the bag and placed it on the counter. "Thanks. I was actually going to buy some stuff later though."

Castle shrugged. "I'm sure. I just wanted to help." Kate gave him a grateful smile, signaling for him to continue. "I also bought doggie bowls, a bed, another leash, a brush, and a lot of other things."

She opened one of the bags and looked inside. Various toys filled the bag, from squeaky ones to hard plastic chew toys. Royal walked over and stuck his head in the bag, grabbed a bone shaped toy with his mouth, and walked over to Castle, wagging his tail.

"He doesn't need all these toys, Castle," Kate reprimanded.

"Oh, come on, Beckett. Look how happy he is!" He grinned and gestured to Royal, who seemed impatient, nudging Castle's knee with his head. "We'll play in a bit, let me just give Beckett the rest of your things."

After bringing in the rest of items, Kate found that most of the things were useful. Castle had bought a few bags of food as well as small bags of dog treats. He also had shampoos for treating fleas and ticks. He had bought an extra collar too.

"Thanks for buying all of this, Castle," Kate said as she set up the brown dog bed near the couch. She smiled at the little paw prints that surrounded the outside of the fluffy cushion.

"It's no trouble; I figured I'd give you a bit of a hand."

Kate considered it more than a bit, but his gesture was still sweet. When she looked over at him, she saw him throwing the bone toy and Royal, who ran to fetch it. The dog came back to Castle with the toy, tail swinging, and dropped it at the author's feet.

"Good boy," Castle praised, rubbing Royal's head. He then looked at her. "Don't forget that rubbing technique I showed you."

The rubbing motion he had done to her hand as an example? The demonstration that ignited a fire in her belly and made her want to jump him? How could she forget?

"Don't worry, I remember," she replied smoothly. "So," she started, grinning as she watched the game of fetch between the dog and author. "Do you want to stay for dinner?"

His head turned to her and he replied, "Unfortunately, no. I promised Alexis I would be home for dinner. However, we can take a rain check." He beamed at her.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Why do I have a feeling that you're going to be visiting a lot?"

"Because you can't say no and you enjoy seeing Royal happy?"

"Maybe," she retorted. "I mean, I'm sure I'm enough company for Royal. Isn't that right, boy?" she said as she scratched the canine's ears. Royal responded by lifting his head up and giving her head a lick. "He agrees with me."

"But he needs some fun in his life. His life can't be totally boring."

"Are you saying I can't have fun, Castle?" she teased.

"Oh, I'm sure you can have fun, Beckett. Except the fun I'm thinking of doesn't involve a dog." His eyes held a mischievous glint and he winked.

"Some other time." She winked and almost laughed when his jaw dropped. "You're too easy."

"Evil woman," he muttered. Suddenly his phone rang and he removed it from his pocket. He glanced at quickly before putting it away. "I'm needed at home," he said and Kate could tell he didn't want to leave. She didn't want him to either. "Anyway, bye Royal. Until Tomorrow, Beckett."

She opened the door and waved as Castle left.

"Bye, Castle," she shouted down the hallway before shutting the door. She turned around to see Royal waiting for her again.

"He thinks I can't be fun, huh?" she said, picking up a squeaky toy. "We'll see about that, won't we, Royal? Now, go fetch!" She threw the cow-shaped object across the room and chuckled as Royal went after it enthusiastically.

She could get used to this.

* * *

AN: So, here it is. This is going to be a series of connected one-shots since that seems to be the way my brain is organizing this fic. Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Here's the next segment. Just a quick reminder that these are connected one-shots. Thanks to those who have followed, favorited, and reviewed this story. Thanks to Kylie for the beta.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

"Thank you, Mrs. Hansen," Kate said as she took Royal's leash. "I really appreciate you looking after him."

The older woman waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, it's no trouble, dear. Royal is a very well behaved dog and good company too."

Kate smiled and looked down at her companion. "Good boy, I'll make sure you get an extra treat tonight." Royal barked in response, his tail wagging in excitement. "All right, time to go."

"Bye Kate. Bye, Royal." Mrs. Hansen gave a wave of farewell and Kate returned the gesture before entering the elevator, pressing the button for the lobby.

"Now, first we're going to go for a walk so you can do your business," she explained to the canine, pretty sure that he could understand what she was saying. "Then, I'm taking you to meet someone that has really helped me these past few months." She chuckled as she imagined the surprise that would appear on Dr. Burke's face when she introduced Royal.

Kate had had Royal for a few weeks now, and they formed a routine quickly, one that had required a bit of help, but he was worth the effort. After Mrs. Hansen had said yes to dog sitting, Kate was able to schedule things so that she still spent enough time with him around her work commitments and while it was a juggling act, it was one she was now perfecting.

Kate would get up -or more to the point Royal would wake her up- and she would feed him and then herself, squeezing in enough time to take him for a walk before work. After they returned to the apartment, she would get ready for the precinct, dropping Royal off at Mrs. Hansen's on her way out of the apartment building. When she got home, Kate would pick up Royal and go for a quick walk with him before finally settling down for the evening. She fed him and then played fetch, or just sat with him for the rest of the night, happy to have the company.

Castle offered to look after Royal, but Kate declined. She told him that if he looked after Royal, then he couldn't help her with cases and she wasn't having that. He had pouted, but agreed. However, he did stop over by her apartment more often, usually bringing take out or homemade dinner with him, always offering her a flimsy excuse about needing to see Royal, lest the dog forget him. They would talk and play with him for a while before Castle reluctantly went home, and it was just another difference that been occurring between them as of late. Kate had noticed Castle seemed to look more and more for an excuse to have physical contact with her, from gentle brushes of their hands to fixing a strand of loose hair, he was always finding a way to touch her. Not that she minded, of course. She just hoped there would be a day where they could stop beating around the bush and dive in.

With the introduction of Royal, she felt that that day was coming soon.

* * *

A half an hour later, Kate walked into the waiting room of Dr. Burke's office, sitting down, as Royal began sniffing around, exploring the new territory. When he got to the receptionist's desk, the young secretary smiled and gently patted him on the head.

"Who is this cutie?" she asked Kate, continuing to pet him.

"He's Royal, my new dog. " Upon hearing his name, the canine trotted back over to Kate, laying down next to her feet.

"He seems very well mannered and he's absolutely adorable!" the receptionist exclaimed. A moment later, the phone on her desk rang and she answered it, speaking only briefly before hanging up. "Dr. Burke will see you now."

Kate thanked the woman before heading into the office. "Come on, Royal," she coaxed. He was engrossed in one of the potted plants, nose buried deep as he kept sniffing it. She gently tugged on the leash, getting his attention, and together they entered the familiar office, where Kate sat down, laughing when she saw Dr. Burke's stunned expression.

"Who's your new friend?" he asked shifting in his chair. Royal kept trying to sniff and nudge at the psychiatrist, but Dr. Burke kept moving away slightly.

"This is Royal," Kate said, frowning at the man's actions. "Royal, stop," she scolded, gently navigating the dog back to her, and thankfully, he obeyed, sitting down at her feet, again.

"Where did you get him?"

"His owner was the victim in a case we were working on," she explained as she patted Royal's head. "Castle and I shared custody of him for a day before he chose me at the end of the case."

"And how have you been with him so far?" Dr. Burke asked, staring at the dog uneasily.

"Fine, actually. We get along great. He's helped me a little too." She smiled.

"How so?"

"Well, after a long day, he helps me relax. I actually find that playing fetch is a great de-stressor. Also, he's very energetic and makes me laugh a lot."

"So, he lets you have fun?"

"Pretty much, yes. Also, Castle has been over to my apartment more because of him."

"Really?" Burke asked calmly, but he seemed intrigued.

Kate rolled her eyes. "He's always asking to see Royal and sometimes I think he wants to spend time with me, too."

"What makes you think that?"

"He always brings dinner with him and we spend more of our time talking than playing with Royal. Also, it seems like he wants to stay longer, but he doesn't." She sighed.

"Why don't you ask him to stay then? Maybe not over night, but still longer than he thinks he should be there."

Kate frowned, wringing her hands together. She had been asking herself the same question lately.

"I'm not really sure, to be honest. I think I'm still a little hesitant with letting him in," Kate explained. "However, maybe I'll ask him next time he visits or I'll just find an excuse to make him stay later. I want him to." She then looked down at Royal, who was panting happily, head angled up at her. "Royal has made me feel less lonely. He's shown me what it's like to come home to someone. Although with Castle, there would be less slobber and shedding." She chuckled. "Not that you really do much of that either." She smiled at Royal, who barked in response, causing Burke to jump slightly in his seat.

"Royal is definitely good for you," Burke said, clicking his pen, his thumb repeating the action continuously. Kate scrutinized him and realized he seemed nervous.

"Is something wrong?"

"I um," he started. "I have a small fear of dogs."

Although, from the way he was abusing his pen, Kate was pretty sure the fear was more than "small'.

"Why didn't you say anything? I would've made Royal stay outside."

"It's fine." The doctor waved a dismissive hand. "I actually was curious how you were with him and he's well behaved. I can put my fear aside for a bit, as long as he doesn't bite." He grimaced.

"Don't worry, he' doesn't. He's a good dog. Aren't you, boy?" she cooed, gently scratching Royal's head. "Yes, you are." Doctor Burke laughed loudly and grinned. "What?" She couldn't figure out what was so funny.

"Nothing, it's just that this is the first time I've seen you so relaxed. Royal certainly has done wonders for you. Based on your behavior, I should recommend owning pets to all of my patients."

"Except for fish, maybe." Fish were boring, in Kate's opinion.

Burke shrugged. "Whatever works for them."

"I guess so," Kate hummed. "But yeah, Royal's great and I'm happy he chose me."

"So am I. You're improving and it shows."

"Yeah." She sighed. If only she could improve enough to be the woman Castle deserved. She hoped that would happen soon. She knew it was all up to her, though.

Burke looked at his watch and wrote something on notepad.

"Looks like our time is up," he announced. "It was good seeing you Kate; you're definitely making head way.'

"Thank you, Dr. Burke," she responded attaching royal's leash to his collar. "I'll see you next session."

"Goodbye, Kate. Goodbye, Royal," Burke said. Royal was once again trying to nudge him and Kate rolled her eyes. The dog could be so damn persistent sometimes. After a gentle tug on the leash, he was following her again. When they exited the office and went into the waiting room, the secretary gave them a little wave as they left.

Kate entered the elevator, rubbing Royal's neck as they traveled down.

"I think that went well, don't you?" She was met with the response of a hand lick and she snickered. "Me too. Now, let's go home and get you fed. I'll give you the stuff you like, the food Castle bought, okay?" Royal wagged his tail happily and Kate could've sworn his mouth formed into a smile. As they exited the elevator, Kate pulled her cellphone out and texted a familiar number. A second later, she received a response.

"Well, Royal," she said. "Looks like I'll be cooking for three, again."

* * *

AN: There you go! I'm going to keep these in chronological order of the episodes, so you'll see some slight changes in upcoming events. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: So, here's the next installment! Thank you to all of those who have followed, favorited, and reviewed this story. Also, thanks to Kylie for being an awesome beta! As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Note: This takes place post-Headhunters.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Kate sighed as she took her dinner out of the microwave and placed it on the counter. She barely paid any attention to her actions, too lost in thought about the events from earlier that day.

She couldn't believe what happened. Castle had gone to another cop for research, and it was Slaughter no less! She knew she shouldn't have been surprised, especially due to Castle's behavior over the past couple of weeks. He had distanced himself from her since the bombing case and he seemed to have changed his persona as well, going back to his old ways of womanizing and recklessness.

The fact that he sought out another detective for his books stung, a lot, and the fact that Castle's new interest was Ethan Slaughter had left her worrying for her partner's safety. She knew Castle could handle himself -he had proven that in the past- however, there was a reason Slaughter was known among his colleagues as the Black Widow.

And in the end she'd been right to be concerned, she had been the one to save Castle, from himself, and from Slaughter - not that she minded. As she told him, that was what partners did for each other and despite his change, Kate still viewed him as her partner. She just had to hope she had convinced him to stay. Only time would tell though.

After Kate settled herself on the couch, she looked up to see Royal sitting patiently at her door and she smiled sadly.

"He's not coming, Royal."

Upon hearing his name, the dog turned around and barked, wagging his tail impatiently.

That was another thing that had changed. Castle had stopped his frequent visits to her apartment. Usually, around this time, he would walk through the door, dinner or dessert for them and treats for Royal in hand. But, ever since that one case, his visits stopped abruptly.

Not that that prevented Royal from waiting, though.

He would sit at the door, patiently expecting Castle to arrive, to no avail. As time passed, he would lay down, put his head between his paws, and begin to whimper. He would then give up, curling next to Kate for the rest of the evening. Every time she saw this, her heart would break for Royal and herself. The canine's actions served as another reminder that her could-be-relationship was probably never going to happen.

A moment later, like clockwork, Royal moved his body down to the floor and began to whimper. However, it only lasted a minute or two before he got up, and trotting over to the couch, he hopped onto the black leather, Kate's hand resting on his head as she began to pet him.

"What did I do, Royal? Huh? Why doesn't Castle want me anymore, boy?" She bit her lip, close to tears and Royal gently nudged her phone toward her with his nose as if he was answering her.

"Call him? I've tried that and he won't answer." Kate sighed and the dog nudged the phone toward her again, this time seeming more insistent. "Well, I haven't tried texting him…" she trailed off, picking up the cell phone.

_Want to come over?_

She waited a few minutes, holding her breath. Her stomach dropped when she received no response. She was about to give up, her frown deepening, when Royal nudged her, as if he sensed her discouragement and looking at him, Kate got an idea. She switched to the camera, taking a picture of the dog before typing out another message with the image attached.

_Royal misses you._

She waited and waited, and, seeing that she wasn't going to get a response, she moved forward to put her phone on the coffee table. Just as the phone hit the wood, it immediately began to ding loudly. Picking up the device, Kate grinned, her heart thumping in excitement as she read the text. She shook her head. God, when had she become such a teenager? Regardless, she felt a sense of hope at the words on the screen.

_I'll be there in a bit._

* * *

Almost an hour after receiving the text, Rick knocked on the door to Beckett's apartment. He originally had no intention of going, wanting to sever ties outside of the precinct. He could keep things civil and work with her, but he was determined to move past his feelings for her.

However, he could never say no to a face as adorable as Royal's. He wasn't stupid, he knew what Kate had been doing by sending the text, but he couldn't resist Royal's pleading expression. So, here he was, standing at Kate's door, waiting for it to open.

"Hey," Kate greeted with a smile, Royal appearing behind her, barking excitedly.

"Hey," he said returning the gesture. Civil, he reminded himself.

She let him into the apartment before going into the kitchen. He noticed she had changed from her work clothes into a t shirt and yoga pants, pants that showed off her nicely toned-

Rick abruptly stopped the thought, forcing himself to focus on something other than the woman in front of him. It wasn't hard when he realized the canine was circling his feet. He grinned, gently rubbing Royal's neck.

"He seems happy to see me," he said as Royal licked his hand.

"He missed you," she responded. "He's been waiting at the door almost every day." Her tone was soft and Rick looked up to see her biting her lip, her gaze focused on the dog.

"Well," he started hesitantly. "I'm here now."

Kate nodded. "Do you want anything to drink? Coffee, tea, water?"

"Water is good." Rick grabbed one of the many chew toys from the couch and held it up in the air. "So, did you miss me, buddy?" Royal barked in response, jumping up in an attempt to grab the toy.

Kate chuckled. "He hasn't known what to do with himself since his second owner has been absent."

"Second owner?"

"Well, yeah." She sighed. "I mean, you were coming here so often that you were practically his other owner."

"Oh." A silence fell between them, and he could sense the tension in the air, bad tension. When had it come to this?

Without their notice, Royal had walked over to where his toy pile was and picking up one of the softer, plushier play items, he returned, dropping the toy at Rick's feet.

"You really love that one, don't you?" Kate cooed, grabbing the object that looked like an iPad. "Dr. Burke sure knew which one you would like, even if he was afraid of you." She laughed as Royal grabbed the toy from her with his mouth.

Rick furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Who's Dr. Burke?"

"Oh." Kate looked up at him, seeming surprised at what she had said. "He's my, um, psychiatrist."

She had been seeing a therapist?

"I didn't know you were seeing someone," Rick responded in a surprised tone and she rubbed her arm, something he knew she did when she was nervous.

"Yeah, I've been seeing him since my shooting." Kate smiled. "He's helped me a lot with coping. Dealing with everything that happened. I've been improving a lot since I started going to him. I mean, it's going to take a while, but I'm slowly starting to heal." She grinned. "I took Royal with me one day and Dr. Burke said that he was definitely helping me. So, he bought the toy for Royal as a reward for helping, for fixing what's broken." She rolled her eyes.

"Who said you needed fixing?" The question was out of his mouth before he could fully think it through.

She frowned. "I know I need it. If I don't do the work, then I'm not-" She ran a hand through her hair. "I want be able to open and free, and not be second guessing every one of my actions. To have one foot out the door. I want to be in a healthy relationship..." The "with you" hung in the air.

Rick frowned, mentally kicking himself. It sounded like she really had been trying to get help and become better, but still…

"Open? So, absolutely no holding back and no secrets?"

Kate nodded her head. "I know it's part of my nature, but - I want to be more than that. I don't want to keep everything inside."

"That's good." He smiled reassuringly.

"Royal's been helping me relax and let loose. I know what it's like to have fun because of him." She kneeled down and began to scratch the dog's ears. "Haven't you, boy?" Royal gently nudged her with his nose. "I know I'm not completely ready for a relationship, yet. But one day I will be." She looked up at him, her eyes begging him to understand.

He did.

Rick paused for a moment, looking at her, maybe what he'd assumed- listening in on her during _that _interrogation- had been wrong. And if she had come clean, it was probably only fair that he do so as well.

"I have my own confession to make." She looked at him curiously and he pressed on. "I heard you in the interrogation room, that you remember."

"You heard me?" She looked at him confused. "What do you mean… oh, oh!"

He nodded. "What I just want to know is why? Why did you lie to me for so long?"

Kate frowned. "As I said, I'm not ready for a relationship. I thought acknowledging that I heard you would accelerate things and I was too scared for that."

Rick pursed his lips. "Still, you should have said something."

"What was I supposed to say? I heard what you said but I couldn't handle it, that I still can't right now?" She bowed her head, wringing her hands together.

"Maybe not that exactly, but some type of acknowledgment would have sufficed." He shook his head. "I've spent the last few weeks thinking you don't feel the same."

"But I do feel the same," she insisted. "I just thought telling you would add pressure."

"I would never pressure you, Kate," Rick responded before sighing. Did she really think he would do that?

"I know and I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Thank you." They were silent for moment before he said, "This doesn't totally fix it. There's- I trusted you." His tone became gentle, wanting her to understand. "I'm not trying to be a jerk, but what you did has shaken that." He reached forward, gripping her shoulders softly, and she looked up at him.

"I understand, Castle, and I'm going to work at earning your trust back. I want this, I want us." She gave him a small smile, intertwining their fingers and he squeezed her hand, glad that everything seemed to be clear between them.

As they were looking at each other, something furry came between them, bumping their legs and they both laughed as one.

"Aww, sorry for ignoring you, buddy," Rick said, petting Royal's back. "Guess it's time to play." He picked up the iPad toy, throwing it across the room and Royal bounded after it excitedly. The duo laughed as the toy kept slipping out of the canine's grasp and angling toward Kate, Rick smiled at his partner.

It would take some time, but someday soon, everything would be okay between them.

* * *

AN: There you have it! This is about as heavy as this story will probably get.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: So, here is the next chapter! As I said before, these are a series of connected one-shots. Basically just life with Royal. Thank you so much to Kylie for the beta, which without her help, this chapter would have been a giant mess. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle

* * *

Rick watched as his partner slumped over in annoyance and exhaustion. They had been at this case for three days, and they were so close to closing it. However, they couldn't nail the culprit due to a lack of evidence.

The case was fairly simple. Nineteen year old Simon Linus had been found shot in the chest a block from his house a few days earlier. When Castle and Beckett had questioned his friends and family, they all made it very clear that he had been into drugs, big time. They'd also said that he'd owed someone money; something he had let slip in a panicked state when trying to scrounge up the funds for the person who was apparently his dealer. His parents didn't know who the dealer was, but his friends did. They'd directed the detectives toward a local guy who lived around the area of Simon's school.

Castle and Beckett had questioned the man named Bradly. He'd said he didn't know anything about the murder, but hadn't denied that Simon owed him money. However, he had an alibi, and while it was shaky at best, it hadn't stopped him from acting cocky, inviting them in to search his home.

Unfortunately, they came up with nothing.

Castle was just as frustrated as Kate was. Being a part of the precinct for so many years made him feel like a cop and when they couldn't put away the person who obviously committed the crime, he felt a slight sadness and regret that they hadn't found justice for their victim.

"There has to be something we can get on him," Castle muttered.

"We've tried everything, Castle. What more is there?" Kate frowned, her face contorting in annoyance. His partner was not one to give up, so he understood that cases that appeared to go nowhere, really raked across her nerves.

Hell, they raked across his just as much, and pushing his lips together, he thought for a moment.

What else could-

"What if," he said, an idea starting to form. "What if Bradly took back what was his?"

"We already searched his place and we didn't find a thing," Kate replied.

"Yes, but what if he hid it-"

Her eyes grew wide in excitement. "In a place where we wouldn't think to look!"

"Exactly!" Castle beamed.

"But," Kate grumbled dejectedly. "We don't have any reason to look. Also, we would have to tear the place apart to find it."

"Not exactly," he hummed, and Kate furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Us _humans _couldn't find the drugs. However, an animal on the other hand,"

"Would be able to sniff them out in no time," she finished.

"And I believe your canine sitting at home can do just that."

"Yes!" Kate exclaimed. "I'll go pick him up and we'll head up to Bradley's."

"I'll go with you, Royal probably misses me." Rick smirked as Kate rolled her eyes. They were both aware that he had seen Royal that morning after sleeping over.

"Come on, let's go, Writer Man," Kate teased, throwing her coat over her shoulder.

He followed suit, as usual.

An hour and a half later, the duo stood before Bradley's door, with Royal attached to his leash. Kate rapped on the wood and together they waited patiently for it to open. Bradley lived in a decent apartment in an okay neighborhood. It wasn't run down, and it was clear he had some money. No doubt from his dealings. Several minutes later, the door opened, revealing their annoyed looking suspect.

"Come to bother me again, Detectives?" he sneered, opening the door wider and gesturing for them to come in. "I already told you everything I know."

"Yes, we just wanted to clarify some things," Kate said, looking around.

"Who's the pooch?" Bradley asked, and Castle's could've sworn that the man softened a bit.

"This is Royal," Castle said, patting the dog's head and smiling. "He's got quite a personality."

"I'll bet," Bradley agreed. "I had a dog once; he was German Shepard name Terrance. Cute thing, but definitely knew how to bite." He gave a dark grin and Castle had to hold back a wince. Bradley tried to pat Royal on the head, but the canine moved away, growling. "Hmph. Guess he doesn't like me, usually I'm great with dogs."

"Anyway," Beckett said, changing the subject. "We just want to confirm where you were the night of Simon Linus' murder."

"I told you, I was taking a walk around the park." He scowled.

"And you don't have anyone to confirm that," Castle shot back.

"Yeah, well, that's not really my problem anymore."

By this point, Castle had let Royal off his leash and the dog was exploring the apartment. He sniffed around, the tag on his collar making a clinking sound as he went.

"It will become a problem when we find proof of your motive for killing Bradly," Beckett replied.

"Look, I told you what I know, now will you kindly leave?" Bradley marched to the door, his hand reaching for the handle when Castle interrupted. He'd been staring at Royal, focused on what their dog was doing.

"Beckett, look."

Kate turned her head and smirked when she saw Royal pawing at a radiator.

"Woah, what is your dog doing?" Bradley asked, seeming to get nervous.

"You see, Bradley, Royal isn't just a normal dog," Kate explained, walking over to the spot and gazing in. She saw a small satchel behind the radiator, a bag of white powder sticking out of it. "He's a drug detecting dog. And it looks like he just found the drugs you stole off of Simon after you murdered him."

One look at Bradley and Rick knew they had him.

Bradley appeared to come to the same conclusion, and, throwing open the door, he attempted to make his escape down the corridor. Lucky he was no match for Kate, who not only caught up with their suspect but quickly cuffed Bradly, hauling him out of the apartment building.

Seeing that everything was under control, Castle took Royal to the car, feeding him a bacon-flavored dog treat that he'd hidden in the glove box.

"You did good, boy."

Royal just bark and wagged his tail in response.

"Now, let's go close this case."

"I'm so happy that the case is over," Kate said, grabbing her coat. After only ten minutes in the interrogation room Bradley had cracked, confessing to the murder of Simon Linus. Meanwhile, Castle and Royal had observed from behind the one way mirror.

"Want to celebrate?" Castle asked, giving her a coy smile.

"Sure." She grinned. "Why don't we take Royal to the park for a game of catch with the Frisbee?"

Castle admitted to himself that he was slightly disappointed in her response, until he saw the twinkle in her eye. Ah yes, still keeping the couple thing a secret.

"Sure," he responded. "What do you say, Royal? Want to get some exercise?"

Royal nudged and pawed at Castle's leg, as if he was saying yes.

"It's unanimous then!" Kate exclaimed.

* * *

"Go fetch!" Castle instructed, throwing the green disk a few yards away. Royal happily bounded after it, sprinting as he chased it down. "So, you're not worried someone will see us?" He knew she still didn't want their relationship to go public just yet.

Kate chuckled. "Don't worry, Castle. All people will see right now is two friends playing with a dog."

"Our dog," Castle corrected. He technically did have co-ownership of the energetic pooch.

"Right. Except when he misbehaves, he's your dog." Kate smirked. Oh, how he wanted to kiss that expression right off her lips. Later, definitely later.

"Hey! Royal is very well behaved!"

"He stole my bra one morning!"

"Oh yeah," Castle hummed, a dreamy smile on his face. Kate had been in the middle of getting dressed when Royal had walked into the room and grabbed her bra when she wasn't looking. It had taken them five minutes to get the canine to release the underwear from his clutches. It didn't help that Castle kept staring at her while she held a shirt up that barely covered her bare chest.

Kate wacked his arm. "I'm sure you enjoyed it!"

"It's not my fault you have attractive boobs!"

"Yeah, well. You might not see them the next time that happens if you don't help me. Got it?

"Got it." Rick pouted, knowing full well she would follow through with her threat.

A moment later, Royal sauntered up to them, dropping the Frisbee at Kate's feet.

"Good job," she praised, picking up the toy, being careful not to touch the slobber covered side. She patted his head and smiled when she received a lick on the hand.

"I think we tired him out," Castle announced, examining the dog. It was true. Royal panted heavily before collapsing into a heap of fur at their feet.

"Poor thing," Kate murmured. "Guess it's time go home then." She grinned devilishly at Castle, and he licked his lips a little in response.

"Of course and I'm sure Royal is hungry." Royal lifted his head up at the sound of his name, putting it right back down when he realized he wasn't needed. "I know I am."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Uh huh. Come on, Royal, time to go home!"

The canine immediately stood up, seeming to get a second wind, and Kate clipped the leash onto his collar. As she did so, Royal nudged her leg and sniffed it.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you." Kate snickered. "Off we go!"

The trio headed out of the park and toward the direction of Kate's apartment. On their way there, the couple had to restrain themselves from holding hands. They were so close to each other and they would occasionally brush hands their hands together lightly. Castle had to contain himself from grasping hers, which wasn't hard since Royal kept jerking her away when he tugged impatiently on his leash.

However, Castle and Beckett just smiled at Royal's antics, happy to have him in their lives.

* * *

AN: Thanks again to Kylie for the beta.


End file.
